Things to Do in Mantua

Palazzo Te is a half-hour’s enjoyable walk from the heart of gorgeous Mantua, a wonderfully OTT summer palace built for Federico II Gonzaga between 1525 and 1535. Designed by Renaissance architect Giulio di Piero Pippi de’ Iannuzzi (known as Romano), the palace was Federico’s retreat from royal life, which centered on the Palazzo Ducale in Piazza Sordello. A seemingly endless series of lavishly adorned apartments were decorated by leading artists of the day and reflect his pet obsessions with love, horses and astrology, from statuesque equine portraits in the Hall of the Horses to alarmingly suggestive frescoes by Romano in the Chamber of Amor and Psyche.

The palazzo was also built to remind the great unwashed of Mantua who held political supremacy over them; the vast and fantastically ornate Sala dei Giganti (Room of the Giants) is a metaphor for Gonazga power, which sees Titan overthrown by the gods in a dazzling trompe l’oeil that creates the illusion that the ceiling is collapsing. Tucked away among the upper floors of Palazzo Te is the town’s Museo Civico, where displays include a jumble of armory, medals, coins and Egyptian artifacts along with Gonzaga family portraits by 20th-century artist Armando Spadini.

The extensive formal gardens include loggias, a shell-encrusted grotto, stuccowork cloisters, fish ponds and Federico’s pretty garden retreat.

Piazza delle Erbe is the beating heart of Mantua’s elegant Renaissance historic center. It is also home to three of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed city’s most famous monuments: the 13th-century civic hall, Palazzo della Ragione; Bartolomeo Manfredi’s 15th-century clock tower; and the 11th-century Rotonda di San Lorenzo, the city’s oldest church. 

As its name suggests, Piazza delle Erbe was once Mantua’s marketplace, and today it is both the cultural and social center of the city. Visit its sights or simply relax with a cappuccino at one of the many cafés that line the square to enjoy the local flavor. Walking tours of Mantua include an in-depth visit to this historic square, and Mantua’s proximity to Verona means that you can easily combine a visit to both landmark cities in one day.

Mantua is located just south of Lake Garda, about halfway between Milan and Venice. Piazza delle Erbe is in the city center, about a 10-minute walk from the train station.

Like many cities in northern Italy, Mantua can be cold and wet in the winter months.  Plan to visit in the summer, when the weather is mild and the skies are clear so you can enjoy a stroll through the center.

If you combine your Mantua visit with a tour of Verona—where Shakespeare's tale of Romeo and Juliet is set—you can explore sites including Piazza delle Erbe, the city’s former Roman Forum and now home to Lamberti Tower (Torre dei Lamberti), the Mazzanti Houses, and the Madonna Verona Fountain (Fontana Madonna Verona); the Verona Arena (Arena di Verona); Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta); Piazza dei Signori; Palazzo Maffei; and Castelvecchio.